11/08/21
In Greek mythology, the King of Phthia – Peleus, falls in love with Thetis, a deity, daughter of the Sea-God Nereus and marries her.
They are blessed with a son who is destined to be one of the greatest warriors in the history. There is another prophecy told to the parents, that their son would die at a young age.
Worried about the well-being of her son, Thatis, takes the newborn to the River Styx. She performs a ritual to evoke the magical powers of the river water, that are supposed to make her son immortal. She dips her son in the river and all the parts of his body, that are immersed in the water, are blessed.
Unfortunately, the heel from which Thetis held her child did not touch the water and was left vulnerable.
The son is named Achilles and he indeed grows up to be the greatest warrior of his time. He is the key hero who wins the Trojan war for the Greeks.
At the end of the war however, Prince Paris of Troy shoots a poisonous arrow at Achilles that hits him at the heel and that causes the death of the hero.
The term since then, Achilles Heel, is hence used to describe a vulnerable point or a key weakness in an otherwise strong constitution.
Everyone has their weak spot, the one thing that despite your best efforts will always bring you to your knees regardless of how strong you are otherwise.
For some, it’s love, for someone it may be family, for others, it may be money or a vice, for some their business or work.
Identify your Achilles heel, overcome the vulnerability and stay blessed forever.